Variations on a Theme
by headlesshessian
Summary: Austria/Canada. What happens when two piano geeks fall in love? A lot of dancing around each other and gratuitous music themes. Mentions of Pru/Can and Fra/Can. T for a few curses.


For a fic exchange. Wrote this back in like... March. Assume these two have formed some sort of odd friendship because they were introduced by Prussia or something.

I own nothing you recognize (though I am in possession of a cool electric piano that I can make sound like a harpsichord).

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><p>"Damn it!"<p>

Austria's front door slammed open and hit the wall next to it in concerto with the yell. The brunet nation slammed his hands down on the keys of his piano in surprise, creating a jarring clash of notes. A mezzo-forte "merde" followed, and the door was shut in a much more quiet fashion. Roderich smiled, in spite of the realization that the plaster in his front hall was probably cracked.

"Austria? Are you in?" A soft voice called politely.

"In the piano room, Canada," he replied, absently playing a scale to prove his point. Another "merde" followed his statement. Seconds later, a bespectacled blond poked his head into the room. "Roderich? I think your wall might be a little cracked... I'm really sorry about that, and I'll pay to have it fi-"

Roderich looked up and smiled, cutting the flustered blond off. "_Hallo,_ Matthew. Don't trouble yourself with that, and do come sit by me." He gestured to the piano bench and scooted over to prove his point.

The North American nation slumped next to the European, leaning his head on the brunet's shoulder. "I'm so glad I'm here with you right now," he whispered. "Today has been hell."

The Austrian played a quick theme by Schubert, then glanced at the Canadian. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Matthew replayed the theme, adding a few jazzy twists, and smiled tiredly at his variation. "Gilbert and Francis are doing it again. They're trying to win me over. Or something. I swear, it's either a joke or it's for my natural resources," he stated bitterly.

"Or maybe they're actually attracted to you?" Roderich murmured.

"Fat chance," the Canadian sneered, the expression seeming out of place on his gentle features, "Francis gave me away in 1763 and Gilbert's always hanging around here- not to blame you or anything. I'd never blame you for something like that," he murmured, brushing his hand over Roderich's almost absently before continuing. "All of these gifts, the little trinkets they shower me with- it's as though they're trying to one-up each other in their pursuit of me."

"You seem especially upset about the pursuing part," Roderich carefully said, playing another theme that Matthew recognized as the love theme from _Romeo and Juliet._

"It would be flattering, but, they aren't doing it for me and I… I…" Matthew's voice grew higher and Roderich touched his hands in concern.

"I'm not in love with either of _them!_" He finished, somehow managing to sound contemptuous and helpless at the same time.

"Would it help if you were?" The brunet asked softly, looking at Matthew from over the rims of his glasses.

The blonde's violet eyes met his own. "I-maybe." Roderich's heart sank. "But I don't think so. Like I said before, I'm not in love with either of _them._"

"That implies that you're in love with someone not French or Prussian," the Austrian stated cautiously.

"You're right," Matthew stated, tucking some hair behind his ear and looking down at the piano keys. He jauntily played a few notes in a syncopated pattern.

"_La Vie en Rose,_" Roderich said, recognizing the melody. "Are they close to France or Prussia?"

"Are we now playing a game?" The Canadian asked teasingly, his eyes dark and warm as he played a theme Austria vaguely recognized from an American game show.

Austria opened his mouth to reply but Canada shook his head and laughed, teasingly pushing the other's glasses up his nose from where they had slid. "Geographically, _he's_ closer to France than he would be to Prussia, if Prussia had land today."

"So, _he's_ a European," Austria said, emphasizing the gender as the Canadian had done. "Germanic or Romance?"

"Germanic."

"…Vash?"

"Switzerland? Though I admire his gun laws, no."

"Germany?"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"The Netherlands?"

"Nah. Lars is cool, but I'm not cool with putting my hair in pigtails and wearing a skirt."

"Too much information," Austria shuddered. So he had gone through all of the Germanic countries with the exception of Lilli, but seeing as she was a girl, she didn't count. At some point, Matthew had started to play the opening chords to _Also Sprach Zarathusta. _That left… _himself. _And suddenly, things like random visits and the gifts from the Canadian all made sense.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but…" Roderich daringly leaned in as the music swelled, "You're in love with me."

Matthew's fingers slipped off the keys at the final major chord and created another clash, but the noise was soon forgotten as he buried his fingers in the brunet's hair and kissed back.

**-fin-**

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><p>Did I do good? They were actually a lot of fun to write…<p> 


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